Would Kate Buy Designer… If she didn’t have a Princess Budget?

After we published our tally of Kate’s clothing purchases for January – March 2017, we immediately saw not only media picking up the story and running with it, but dozens of angry commenters commenting on the cost of Kate’s wardrobe. It’s too much! She doesn’t need to wear designer clothes!Who even cares what she wears? While we didn’t publish the story to give those without an appreciation for the Duchess’ fashion choices a platform to criticize her, we do appreciate that we didn’t include one important variable into the article – Kate’s love of a deal.

While we haven’t had the opportunity to see Kate at the outlet malls lately (she loves Bicester Village, for example, where she picked up an M. by Missoni coat she wore with The Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall at an engagement in 2012 there), we know that she is still a fan of the deal, with her selection of more recent articles of clothing from online “outlet” site The Outnet. While Kate’s wardrobe budget is definitely higher than the average person, we know that she is conscious of costs. Even if she didn’t have a Princess budget, we think she, like us, would still turn to the elegant cuts, luxurious fabrics, intricate details and tailored finishes of designer clothing.

But, I hear you saying, how can you afford designer clothing? A few weeks ago, we shared one of our favourite ways to get designer clothing for less with a high-end consignment site called The Upside. Several months ago, we also shared how sites like Rent the Runway make designer clothing realistic options for those unwilling to pay a fortune for one piece. Kate also takes advantage of secret sample sales and private shopping events for those on the VIP lists at certain stores – something many will allow you to do if you give them your personal details. Today, we thought we’d share the answer to this article’s titular question, would Kate wear designer clothes if she didn’t have a royal budget, with another of our favourite tricks. It’s a fabulous luxury consignment site called The RealReal.

Amanda is the Media & Operations Director for Effervescence Media Group (otherwise known as behind-the-scenes editor of What Would Kate Do?, Croissant Crumbs and The Refined Side). When she isn't blogging, she can be found with a nice glass of red wine or browsing a vintage shop. Her interests are varied and include vintage couture, etiquette, and the financial markets. She resides in Vancouver, British Columbia